


This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race

by addledwalrus



Category: Original Work
Genre: 2000s, 70's Music, 80's Music, Arrogance, Asian-American Character, Bad Decisions, Bands, Based on a Fall Out Boy Song, British Slang, Brother-Sister Relationships, Celebrity Crush, Cell Phones, Cheesy, Childhood Friends, Chinese Character, Cliche, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Differences, Cultural References, Driving, Dysfunctional Relationships, Evil Plans, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Femininity, First Kiss, Flirting, Foursome, Friendship, Gen, High School, Homoeroticism, Hormones, Horny Teenagers, Humor, Immaturity, Inappropriate Behavior, Innuendo, Jewelry, Leadership, Lust, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Movie Reference, Music, Musical Instruments, Musical References, Musicians, Mutually Unrequited, Names, Nostalgia, Oedipal Issues, Opposites Attract, Parent-Child Relationship, Parody, Partying, Peer Pressure, Perversion, Piano, Pop Culture, Protective Siblings, Quentin Tarantino References, Rock and Roll, Rules, Scheming, Sexual Frustration, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Humor, Shoplifting, Sibling Rivalry, Stereotypes, Stupidity, Team Dynamics, Technology, Teenage Rebellion, Teenagers, Texting, Tutoring, Vanity, Video & Computer Games, Wet Dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-04-23 03:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14324001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: Jared joins a band in high school and stays throughout it's changing lineup and musical styles.





	1. Drift Away

**2003**

_Meet me in bathroom asap. Got a surprise for_ _y'all_ _._

Zach took all of three seconds to read the text from Noah before tucking his phone away so that it wouldn't be seen by patrolling teachers.

It tended to be the wealthier students like him whom had the privilege to own cellphones, though the faculty had already caught on to their distractive power enough to have banned them from use during class hours.

He whistled a little tune to himself while strolling safely past the neurotic Mrs Phelps and eventually reached the safety of the boys' restroom where Noah, Jared and Kyle already waited.

He guessed that Jared must have been told directly by either of the other two boys, for the Donovans were middle class and thus had saving up college money as their main goal in life.

_"Not that I see Jared going to college. He can't even sit still in class..."_

"Alright, I guess we're all here now. You ready to see it?" Noah announced, interrupting Zach's thoughts as he dropped his schoolbag to the floor.

Zach nodded while Jared and Kyle looked unimpressed.

Noah unzipped his bag and reached inside to eventually pull out a copy of  _Grand Theft Auto: Vice City_.

"Feast your eyes."

Jared and Kyle's faces immediately lit up with excitement. They both moved in for a closer look, only for the sudden entrance of some seniors to drive all four boys into a panic.

Noah shoved the video game hastily back into his bag before meeting the other three again in the hallway.

"So, you can come to my house tomorrow if you're interested. Only person around will be Alicia and she'll know not to bother us."

* * *

 

Alicia's quiet morning with her brother was shockingly cut short by the arrival of three boys his age. She followed him to the front door and demanded to know the reason for his friends coming over without notice.

"But we all agreed on it, Alicia. I just didn't know what to say to  _you_."

She stepped back with a sigh to watch the visitors enter. The only one she recognized was Zach, so she turned around to question Noah.

"What's going on?"

"I have  _Vice City_. How could I not share it?"

"I guess I understand..." Alicia replied, trying to stay calm while gazing at the two strangers accompanying Zach. "But who are they?"

"Jared and Kyle. They were desperate and I couldn't get away with keeping them in the dark."

"Oh. I'll be careful around them then."

"That's not how my rule goes."

"Please, Noah? You never let me try..."

Noah considered her request and turned to briefly face Zach, whom gave a thumb up to show that he was okay with it.

"See, Zach thinks that I should-"

"Okay. Just this time."

Alicia smiled in relief and found a spot near Zach by the Xbox. He was the nicest of her brother's friends and the one most tolerant of her presence, which was made clear by him promising to let her use the console when it came into his hands.

"Thanks, you're the best..."

"Hey, you're a friend too."

"Thanks anyway."

Noah started the game and Jared went out of his way to do an impression of the Italian American gangsters in the opening clip. It got a laugh from Kyle, whom declared that it sounded just like one of his elderly neighbors.

* * *

 

Three hours of cheering each other on and yelling out conflicting pieces of advice eventually devolved into the boys having a banal discussion about the 'hotness' of their mothers.

Alicia used her numb legs to trudge away from the boys and head upstairs for some alone time.

Noah watched her go but didn't feel the least bit motivated to say anything.

"So, what do we do now?" Jared murmured as the game's home screen glared brightly at his face.

"We watch MTV, I guess..." Noah replied after a lengthy silence.

"I'm not getting the remote..." Kyle said lazily in response.

"Me neither," added Zach.

"We're just going to lie around then?"

"Yeah."

All four boys fell into an aimless silence during which they gazed up at the ceiling as if contemplating the mysteries of life.

Kyle spoke up after some time to make an unlikely proposal.

"You guys know how I take guitar lessons?"

"What about it?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while. You like the drums, Jared. We could start a band if we wanted."

"Yeah, sounds like a great idea. We could get loads of hot chicks."

Jared rose to a sitting position and shifted his focus to Noah and Zach.

"What do you two say? Are you in?"

"Excuse me?" Noah said in disbelief as he too sat up. "You white boys leave me out of it. I'd rather be a rapper."

"Okay, how about you, Zach? We need at least a bass guitarist and singer."

"You want me to learn an instrument? I don't think I'm up for it..." Zach replied nervously, feeling like his friends were getting too ahead of themselves.

"Fine. There's heaps of guys who can already play. We just need to get one of them."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like-"

"I know an Asian guy named Ryan. He plays piano but I think we can convince him to take up keyboard..." Kyle interrupted to suggest the first step in their plan.


	2. Somebody Told Me

**2004**

In a street filled on both sides with parked cars, Michelle supervised her brother's driving while scanning around for somewhere he could park.

"Right there, between those trees!"

Jared slowed down and glanced toward where she was pointing before getting ready to reverse into the empty spot.

Two attempts and a near collision later, Michelle had calmed down enough to explain the night's plans once again despite Jared's restlessness.

"Remember, we have nothing to do with each other. Don't act like you know me."

"Why not? Afraid your friends won't be able to resist  _this_?" Jared replied tauntingly. He gestured at his chiselled face for extra measure, which prompted Michelle to give him a withering look.

"You think you're hot shit, but I'm the only self-respecting girl who willingly puts up with your crap."

"Ooh, someone's upset about being born in the wrong family..."

"Just get out, will you? I need to change."

"Whatever you say, your  _highness_."

"Fuck off..."

* * *

 

Honor student and experienced pianist Ryan finished his performance with a fluid sweep of the keys, before standing up to bow at his instructor.

The bespectacled woman commended his skill before offering constructive criticism. He nodded as if listening attentively, though his focus lay on the familiar figure that had appeared out in the hallway.

He recognized the face of Kyle, a troublemaker known for harassing teachers and causing obnoxious disruptions in class. It bothered him to think what intention such a boy had by loitering nearby, so he was naturally wary when the piano lesson officially concluded.

"Hey, Ryan! How would you like to break some rules for a change?"

Ryan ignored Kyle and kept walking, but the latter wouldn't back down easily.

"Gonna keep being Mom and Dad's golden child, right?"

"It's none of your business."

"Come on, you know you're unhappy when even the teachers can see it. Your parents have been walking over you for sixteen years, isn't it about time you showed them who the real boss should be?"

Ryan came to a stop and stared wordlessly ahead as his opinion began to sway.

* * *

 

_Don't you want somebody to love? Don't you need somebody to love?_

Jared had to actively stop himself from letting the catchy party music distract him from locating Alex, the amateur guitarist whom Michelle claimed would be around.

_"No, I don't want somebody to love. I'll take a bass guitarist for our band any day, though."_

He found the junior seated upon a couch after only a few minutes of searching, entertaining an unlikely audience with a lewd rendition of some old school hippie song.

He briefly turned to see what Michelle was up to while deciding how to proceed. She seemed to be completely absorbed in a conversation with friends, so he told himself there was nothing to fear.

"Hey, that was totally brilliant." He spoke up once the song was over, in the hope of winning the older boy's favor. "How did you get so good?"

"A thing called practice. But I guess a wanker like you would know nothing about it..." Alex replied in a quasi-British accent that fed Jared's curiosity.

"I'm actually not a bad drummer. That must count for something, right?"

"A drummer, eh? Do you play in a band?"

"Not really. Right now, it's just me and Kyle, the lead guitarist. We're after bass guitar, keyboard and maybe even a singer."

Alex contemplatively scratched his chin for at least a couple of minutes before giving a response.

"I've been enjoying being a lone wolf for a while now, so there needs to be something in it for me."

"Um..." Jared said hesitantly as he turned back to observe Michelle. "You see that hottie over there?"

"Yeah, she's well fit."

"She's my sister and hanging out with me might just give you a chance."

"Prove it then. Because it sounds like you're pulling this out of your-"

"Oh, that's easy..."

Jared smiled confidently, then attracted Michelle's attention with a simple 'hey sis'. Her quick response and dirty look was enough to convince Alex that she had very close ties with the sophomore he was speaking to.

"A foxy babe's a good deal, but there's something I want from you too..."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Pull down your pants. Show me your dick."

"What? Why?"

"So, I can measure it and see if you're up to standard." Alex said smugly with a cross of his arms.

"Isn't there an alternative?"

"Nah. Hold him down, boys."

Alex's companions prepared to grab Jared and shove him to the floor, but he relented before they could touch him.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"That's the spirit."

Five pairs of eyes focused on Jared as he began to unzip his jeans and allow a glimpse of the boxers’ underneath. Suddenly, he could sense yet another presence approaching from behind and swallowed in dread upon realizing who it was.

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?!" Michelle chastised all five juniors whom stood around Jared. "You think sexually harassing my brother will make you look straight?"

"No, it's not what it looked like! We were just playing!" Alex protested, though such a defence only infuriated her more.

She dragged Jared away by the arm in rage and once they were out of earshot, turned to scold him as well.

"Don't ever do anything stupid without my permission. Understand?!"

"You don't get it, Michelle. I was totally in control."

"Oh, so showing off your dick to perverts is part of some  _genius_ plan?"

"Yep. But we don't know each other, remember?"

Michelle realized in the following seconds that she'd broken her own conditions. It drove her into a brief state of shock and gave Jared an opportunity to rush back to Alex.

"Sorry about the interruption. My name's Jared and here's my friend Kyle's number. Call him if you're interested." He explained, handing over a slip of paper with a flirtatious wink.

"Thanks, I'm-"

"I already know who you are. Michelle told me."

* * *

 

"So, any celebrities  _you_  really like?" Kyle asked, redirecting the conversation to Ryan after talking at length about Jessica Simpson.

"I dunno..." Ryan replied in uncertainty while remembering the last movie he'd seen. "Lucy Liu, I guess?"

"Cool. Are you two related?"

"What? Why would you think that?!"

"It's a joke. You have the same surname as her and... wait, it's offensive, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I'm sick of it."

"Oh. But she is pretty though."

"Yeah, she was great in Kill Bill. O-Ren Ishii deserves her own movie..."

"Don't forget that hot but crazy schoolgirl. I can't remember her name..."

"Gogo Yubari?"

"Whatever. Come meet us this Thursday afternoon for practice. I hate to have to keep Jared waiting another week."

"Uh, sure. I'll just tell my parents that I'm in the library."

"Great. See you then."

* * *

 

It was now ten minutes into their first session with still no sign of Ryan. Jared sat behind the drums in exasperation while Alex tapped his guitar and looked ready to storm out.

The clock continued to tick deafeningly for another minute or two before loud footsteps sounded right outside the door.

Ryan charged speedily into the music room much to Kyle's relief, though what happened next shocked Jared and Alex as well.

"You...you won't believe what I did today..." Ryan began breathlessly as he dropped his schoolbag to the floor. "I shoplifted four cans of coke and a bag of chips from 7-Eleven..."

"Holy shit. When I said, 'break some rules', I didn't mean 'rob a convenience store'..." Kyle said with a horrified expression.

"Bloody hell, you sound pretty crazy for an Asian kid..." Alex spoke up in pleasant surprise. "So, what happened next?"

"An alarm went off and I think someone chased me outside..."

"Well, I guess that makes you one of us now. There's no going back anymore, so why don't we enjoy some coke before starting?"


	3. Kryptonite

"So, what now?" Jared asked as he tossed his empty can nonchalantly into the trash. "Are we gonna start playing or not?"

"Yeah, of course. I know just what direction we'll take..." Kyle replied with confidence while Jared and Alex looked skeptical.

"And what's that?"

"Since we got Ryan now, we should do some eighties classics. Lots of synthesizers in those."

"The eighties? Not my Dad's thing, but I guess it's a real gold mine..."

"Yeah. I think we could definitely pull off some U2 or The Cars."

Jared nodded at Kyle in agreement then turned towards Alex.

"So, what do you think? Still interested?"

"Bruv, I couldn't care less, as long as it means showing off my talents as lead guitarist."

Jared dropped his drumsticks in shock before he and Kyle cried out in unison.

"That's not your job!"

Alex glared back at them both as if they were the misguided ones. He began to explain himself with much condescension.

"Well it should be. You three are still wet behind the ears and need someone like me as front man."

"Okay, you're being an asshole now." Jared muttered in disbelief as he got up from behind the drums. "None of us would be here without Kyle."

Ryan nodded in agreement while glancing quietly at their founding member.

"And that shouldn't mean shit. I've been playing guitar since I was bloody seven."

"Wait, really? That's amazing."

"You'd better believe it."

"You..." Kyle responded as he took on the expression of someone whose hopes had been crushed. He spun around to face the now apologetic looking Jared, whom seemed to be swayed by Alex's claim of expertise. "...aren't you going to help me out?"

"He actually does deserve it more than you, now that I think about it." Jared found himself confessing in guilt while remembering what happened at the party. "Sorry for letting you down..."

"Jared, you piece of shit...you're supposed to be my friend! How could you turn on me?!"

Kyle knocked the nearest music stand over in a fit of rage and stormed out of the room before slamming the door. Jared felt a stab of regret and considered atoning for his harsh actions, though Ryan got up to check on the former leader instead.

Ryan returned minutes later with Kyle in a noticeably brighter mood than earlier. He stopped to glance between Alex and Jared before explaining his controversial idea.

"I'm just on keyboards and I know it will sound stupid, but you could change places depending on the song. Like when you play a duet on the-"

"That's a stupid idea!" Alex interrupted to the chagrin of the other three. "I'm not sharing with him and that's final!"

It was then that two pairs of eyes in focused threateningly upon Alex and made it clear that the future depended on his compliance. The pressure eroded his willpower and he relented within seconds, making it clear that this first victory belonged to them.

Kyle and Jared spent no more than a minute enjoying it before the issue of possible band names became apparent.

* * *

 

"Looking for something?" Forty-six-year-old Steve Donovan asked upon entering the garage to recharge some batteries and seeing Jared rummage through an old box.

"Yeah. Me and Kyle are making a collection of eighties rock. I thought they'd be here somewhere...

"Eighties rock?"

"Yeah."

"What for?"

"We're just interested, that's all." Jared replied casually as his father flipped a switch on the wall.

Steve gave him a strange look before gesturing at the door.

"I keep them upstairs. They're too valuable to be left down here."

"Sure. Are you going to show me to them, Dad?"

"Of course. Follow me "

Steve walked back into the hall minutes later and presented Jared with a cassette tape marked  _Foreigner_. Jared took it with a grateful smile before Steve began to speak rather sternly.

"This tape and its contents mean a lot to me. You're in for hell if it gets broken or lost."

"Dad, you can trust me."

"Get out of here."

Jared left his father's sight and entered the poster filled room that was his private sanctuary. One of socialite Paris Hilton hung over his bed and he ran a hand over her haughty face while beginning to fantasize.

_"She's such a spoilt princess, but I bet she's a total animal in bed..."_

He smiled in amusement at the notion of an untouchable celebrity losing all pretense in the bedroom and showing themselves to be the filthy beast they really were.

_"Michelle's like that too. People think she's cool when she really just saves her bad side for me..."_

He shuddered upon remembering the time when as young children, she'd 'accidentally' hit him in the face with a soccer ball and knocked out one of his teeth.

 _"She never apologized for that..."_ He thought before focusing again on the tape from his Dad and reminding himself to organize a special meeting with Kyle on the weekend.

* * *

 

 _"He's so hot..."_ Brittany thought fancifully to herself as she sat in math class and gave in to temptation by ogling the boy two rows away.

There was just something so aesthetically pleasing about the way he was put together, even when he seemed about to begin chewing his pencil in boredom.

Dark brown hair fell naturally upon his forehead in a way that balanced an already handsome face quite well. She noticed the cross shaped pendant hanging from his neck and wondered if it was there for religious purposes or just some fashion statement.

He didn't strike her as the pious type, so she concluded that his choice of jewellery held no deep meaning.

_"Oh crap, he's looking this way..."_

She pretended to take notes as Jared glanced in her direction, then went back to admiring him once his attention shifted elsewhere.

_"Where was I? Oh yeah, moving on from his face..."_

She remembered one warm day during which he'd struggled to remove his hooded sweater. The hem of his t-shirt had come up as well to reveal a portion of his lean and toned stomach.

The thought of his shirtless form leaning over her whilst still wearing the cross made her mouth water slightly, though nobody noticed because of the school bell finally ringing.

She delayed her exit from the classroom by several seconds, simply to get a good look at his rear end as he walked out.

_"I'd hit it if he wasn't such a dick..."_

* * *

 

"Did you see that?" Kyle began upon arriving by Jared's side in the locker room. "Brittany was giving you dreamy looks the whole time. I think she really wants you, bro."

"You think? She could just as well have been staring at Matt..."

"Yeah, maybe. But he's nowhere near as hot as you...I mean, us. No homo."

"So, you're saying I should give her a shot? Is she even up for grabs?"

"Who knows?"

"Well, I'm not gonna bother..."

Jared's voice trailed off when Brittany herself sauntered past, the sweetness exuded by her blonde locks and pastel pink wardrobe making him feel nauseous indeed.

"I mean, she's really pretty..." He continued once she was out of earshot. "...but she probably barfs rainbows and shits cotton candy. I'd rather date someone real, you know?"

"Like your sister?" Kyle replied tauntingly.

"No, not like her. Someone in between."

"Good luck with that. By the way, we need to think of a name."

"Oh, I was just about to get to that. What do you think of  _Trash Panther_?"

"Come on, Jared. That name sucks and you know it."

"Fine, tell me what you have in mind."

"How about _Twice the Action_? Since that's what we're hoping to get..."

"Oh my God, that's brilliant!"

 


	4. Are You Gonna Be My Girl

_"Oh yeah, keep going down there...never mind that stupid alarm clock...oh shit."_

Brittany blinked tentatively upon awaking at seven in the morning and soon discovered that she'd spent a good portion of the night pleasuring herself to the thought of being with Jared.

The intensity of her sexual longing for a boy like him was quite frightening as she slipped out of bed to grab an already planned ensemble. before stepping into the bathroom for a shower.

_"I can't want him. Sure, he's got a nice body, cute face and pretty eyes, but he's an immature jerk. He'd drive me insane, like he's done with that sister of his. Unless..."_

She briefly lost her train of thought while conditioning her blonde hair, then found it again once she was out of the shower.

_"...I follow that saying about girls you marry and girls you fuck, but I apply it to boys instead. Jared totally falls into the second group, so maybe..."_

A rough plan of action came together in her mind and she went about the rest of the morning obsessing over how outrageous it was. The possibility of a boy like Jared using a casual fling to forward his own social standing at the expense of her dignity seemed very real, after all.

Overall, much consideration would have to be made before Brittany could figure out whether she valued her reputation enough to continue suppressing the hormonal urges of adolescence.

* * *

 

"Okay, let's see what we've brought. I'll start first..." Kyle announced at their second meeting together before producing CD albums of  _U2_ and  _The Cars_  like he'd promised. "I think we should definitely do these artists. It's just a matter of deciding which songs."

Alex scoffed at Kyle's suggestion and held his choice out smugly for all to see.

"You've got your heads up your asses if you think eighties classics are gonna get us attention. That's why I brought  _The Killers_."

Kyle's sense of pride took a hit at the realization that Alex's statement was correct, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. He turned to face Jared in the hope of finding some solace.

"How about you? What have you got?"

Jared smiled contently as he put forward the  _Foreigner_  tape from his father and awaited a response.

"Hey, they're a great source." Kyle half-heartedly praised as he continued to feel threatened by Alex's presence. "Chicks can't resist a good ballad."

"True. You can thank my awesome Dad for that."

"I guess that brings us to Ryan...anything to show?"

"Not really..." Ryan replied with an awkward shrug of the shoulders. "...unless you want to cover classical music."

"Uh, I think we're good. Now what I have in mind is, we run through these albums then write down the songs we like. After that, we'll have a vote. Does that sound great?"

* * *

 

"Sure." Three voices agreed with varying levels of enthusiasm.

The fact that they managed to narrow down their choices to a single list by the end of the hour seemed like a miracle to Kyle, Alex and Jared.

Ryan, on the other hand, did not share the same feelings of relief and announced his need to leave quickly.

"Leave right now? Where do you need to go?" Jared asked to sound as if he cared.

"Piano tutoring. It's like some new job that I have."

"Oh, okay. Report back to one of us tomorrow."

"Uh, sure. Gotta go..."

Ryan grabbed his bag and allowed Kyle to accompany him out while Jared began to eye Alex expectantly.

"You want something from me, pretty boy?" Alex responded in suspicion.

"If you're still wondering about what happened at the party, well, I don't swing that way. I love girls."

"Bloody hell. If you're so straight, why would you even think I'd be into you?"

* * *

 

"Oh yeah, touché."

"Hey, are you Ryan?" Alicia asked the older boy seated at the piano as she entered the room placed down her schoolbag.

"That's right." He confirmed, standing up to approach her. "Are you Alicia?"

"Yeah, that's me..."

"Great, I think we should start now...um..."

Ryan suddenly found himself mortified at the realization he'd be spending the next hour near an actual girl.

He had to admit to himself that she had a rather cute face, despite her clearly belonging to a race that his parents despised.

_"Pull yourself together. You're teaching and she's learning. That's all there is to it."_

"You...should tell me a bit about yourself. What grade are you in?"

"I'm a sophomore. You?"

"I mean piano grades."

"Oh...I don't actually know." Alicia replied cluelessly because of her being informally taught until that point.

"What's the most advanced song you can play?"

" _I Heard It Through the Grapevine_  by Marvin Gaye."

"Uh, who's Marvin Gaye?"

"Only one of the best soul singers of all time..."

"I... I see. Do you want to play that song for me?"

"Sure "

Alicia eagerly made her way to the piano, only to find when she sat down that Ryan wasn't happy at all with her posture and finger positioning.

"I'm sorry, but you've got the foundations all wrong. We need to work on those before you start."

* * *

 

"So, how was the first lesson? Did it go okay?" Noah asked his sister in curiosity while sitting opposite her at the table during dinner.

Alicia instinctively glanced at the empty chair their mother sometimes occupied before replying.

"Not so good. He made me play the same five notes over and over for the whole lesson..."

"Woah, what for?"

"Apparently, I've been doing it all wrong these past three years..." Alicia said miserably as she shrunk in her seat. "I kind of don't want to see him again."

"Hey, don't give up so soon."

"What?"

"You must have gotten perfect at it by the end, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. He sounded pleased."

"Then the worst should be over. Now you just need to focus on playing your songs."

"While keeping my back completely straight and my fingers perfectly aligned."

"Shit, must be tough." Noah said with a nod of sympathy before leaning back in his chair.

* * *

 

It took no more than a minute of practicing  _Just What I Needed_ by The Cars for it to become obvious that Kyle's voice simply did not mesh well with the lyrics and sound of the song. He lacked most of the ambivalence exhibited by Benjamin Orr in the original and it was quickly decided against his will that Alex was a better fit.

And so, it was that the seventeen-year-old with British citizenship usurped the role of lead singer from Kyle, leaving the latter to become more paranoid that he was losing his brainchild and there was nothing he could do about it.

Ryan was hardly a source of consolation, because playing keyboard riffs was child's play for an accomplished pianist and his true interests lay in seizing a place at some prestigious university.

Kyle wound up seeking emotional support once again from Jared, whom succeeded in making things seem less dire by talking about how Alex would be graduating high school within the year.

"Thanks, bro. I guess I will get to be leader, after all..."

"Like I'll let that happen."

"What?"

"Nothing, Kyle. I've got your back and you can always count on me."

* * *

 

Jared's scheming to eventually gain full creative control of the band came to an abrupt stop as he took his bag and inadvertently caused a pink slip of paper to land on the floor.

_"Strange. I never use pink paper..."_

He picked it up and read the immaculate handwriting, before his eyes widened in excitement.

_Jared, you dirty boy. Meet me in bathroom tomorrow after school._

_I'm a very horny girl. xoxo_

"What's that in your hand, Jared?"

Jared shoved the note into his pocket and turned to face Michelle, while hiding his excitement at the idea of someone finding him desirable enough for a naughty bathroom meeting.

"A note from a friend. This is how I get messages without a-"

"I get it. Not having a phone is complete torture. I feel  _so_ sorry for you..."


	5. Confessions

"Anyone in here? This is pretty awkward..." Jared made sure to say rather audibly upon stepping into the girls' bathroom after school was over and looking out for other signs of life.

He rounded a corner into the area that contained sinks and mirrors then came to a sudden stop. There stood Brittany, looking sweet as ever while she leaned against the wall and tried to maintain eye contact without succumbing to embarrassment.

"Hey, Jared..." She managed to greet brightly before the nature of the situation became too much to bear. "What brings _you_ in here?"

"You tell me." He replied with the intention of playing it cool, only to realize that a part of him was glad to know it was her whom had set up this meeting. "I'm just following what was on that note..."

"Note? What note?" Brittany immediately rebuffed in such a way as to suggest that their current encounter was really the result of some misunderstanding.

"So, it wasn't you?"

"No. No, it wasn't..."

Jared felt quite dismayed as he turned back towards the door in the hope of leaving with some shred of dignity still intact. Brittany watched him walk away and briefly closed both eyes in frustration upon realizing that she was letting a rare chance slip away.

"Jared, stop!" She yelled, rushing forward and grabbing him by the arm as soon as her eyes were open again. "I take it all back."

He stopped and turned to stare down at her in confusion. She loosened her grip before stepping back to allow them both some extra room.

"I don't get it. Was it you or not?"

"Yeah, it was me. Don't take it the wrong way..."

A sense of relief flooded Jared's mind as he took in the meaning of Brittany's words and spent the next few seconds studying her pretty features. He'd never truly confronted the notion that she was his ideal girl and it took her being proactive to make him aware of that.

"No, I'm glad." He admitted out of a desire to keep her close by a little longer. "I had no idea you were into me too..."

"Ditto that..." Brittany said as she began to smile for the first time that afternoon. "So, what do you say? You ready to start something?"

"Sure, why not?" Jared replied before taking a moment to lick his lips while she positioned herself up against the wall. "Tell me when you're ready..."

"I'm ready..."

"Okay, I'm coming in."

He approached to wrap both arms firmly around Brittany's shoulders, gaze into her wide blue eyes, then move in for the kiss. He relished the sweet taste of what was probably some girly lip gloss before pulling away to observe her reaction.

"How did that feel?"

"G-Good..." She answered giddily, grabbing her bag from off the floor and promptly pushing past him in the hope he wouldn't see her flushed cheeks. He noticed anyway and let out a sigh once she was gone.

_"Well, how about that? I might actually fall in love if this happens again..."_

* * *

Jared couldn't wipe the smile from his face while sitting upon his bed that evening and listening to Foreigner's _Waiting for A Girl Like You_ play at full volume.

It wasn't until Michelle burst into his room two minutes later that he ended up focusing on something other than the song and his newfound infatuation.

"Jared..." Michelle began in irritation, her voice sounding like a shrill hiss in comparison to Brittany's melodic way of speaking. "Turn it down. I'm trying to talk with a friend."

He didn't bother to argue and obediently turned down the volume on his cassette player before she strode out of his view. The next thing he did was plug in some headphones and place them around his ears so that the music could be enjoyed by him alone.

He closed his eyes as a way of immersing himself in the song, whilst imagining how it would feel to hold Brittany tenderly in his arms and know that she loved him back.

_"This whole 'love' business is still pretty new to me. I should find someone who already knows a thing or two about it, like..."_

He heard his mother Karen call out faintly from downstairs and knew that she was his best bet when it came to advice about love, due to Michelle being too much of a gold digger and his father Steve's usual reluctance to talk about concepts such as human emotion.

He positioned himself on the couch beside the forty-seven-year-old an hour after dinner and cleared his throat to get her attention before starting to speak.

"Mom, I've always wondered...how did you really meet Dad?"

Karen picked up the remote control and turned down the volume on her favorite program so that she could hear Jared better.

"What did you say?"

"How did you and Dad actually meet?" Jared rephrased.

"You mean I haven't told you already?"

"No, you didn't."

"Alright..." Karen began with a coy smile. "It's a strange story, but I'll try my best..."

Jared leaned forward a little in anticipation while curious as to how his parents' experiences would help him handle things with Brittany.

"It was 1977. I'd just turned twenty and broken up with my boyfriend of two years. Not to mention, I was living on my own for the first time and having a hard time paying off the rent. Your Dad lived across the hall with his hippie father and it might be hard to believe now, but he was a real looker back then. So anyway, I was getting ready to go to a job interview one morning when I bumped into him near the stairs. He was wearing a leather jacket and tight blue jeans that made his butt look quite sexy..."

Karen's voice trailed off as she realized that she'd just revealed a little too much information about her past sexual experiences. She turned away from Jared to focus again on the television screen while opting to give a more family-friendly summary of how things had happened.

"...I think I just got carried away there. In short, I got a closer look at your Dad that day and realized he was a handsome guy. I asked if he wanted to come over, he said yes and soon we were seeing each other more than twice a week. It was wonderful..."

"Yeah, I bet it was hot. But how did you know he was actually into you?"

"I didn't. I just followed my heart and hoped for the best."

"Well, okay. That's totally cliched..."

Jared rose from the couch and thanked her for the advice anyway before running upstairs to plan out his approach.

* * *

Brittany followed the directions on the note that Jared had slipped into her locker and met him on the bleachers whilst football players trained on the oval. She sat hesitantly by his side before questioning his choice of location.

"We're not going to make out here, right? They can see us..."

"No, of course not." Jared replied with a slight shrug. He reached down to unzip his bag and carefully pull out an encased cassette tape to present to her.

"A tape? That's so nineties..." Brittany remarked without thinking, though he held it out with both hands regardless as if it were a fragile treasure.

"I copied some love songs on to this last night. Have you ever heard of Foreigner?"

"Yeah, I do." She answered in a matter-of-fact tone that caught Jared by surprise, for he was expecting her to have no idea. "They're one of my Dad's favorite bands..."

"Your Dad likes them too? Get out of here."

"It's true. He wanted one of their songs played at his wedding..."

"Fine. I guess you'll like this then, because I made it just for you..."

Brittany glanced down at the words scrawled on the label and feeling incredibly flattered, accepted the gift before expressing her gratitude.

"I didn't think you'd be the kind of guy to do something like this, but I guess I was wrong..."

"Hey, it was worth it. You're hot and you've got a great personality, so how could I not put in the effort?"

She simply smiled while placing the tape into her own bag, then got up to kiss him gently on the cheek as a parting gesture.

"See you again on Monday. I'll make sure to show up when you perform with your band..."


End file.
